Something To Fight For
by Cage The Elephant In The Room
Summary: He took a step forward and watched, amused, as her entire body froze with fear. "I'm not going to hurt you, little witch." She flinched. It had been years since he'd called her that. Bamon fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't own anything affiliated with T**_**he Vampire Diaries**_**.**

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She could only stare. Her eyes had locked on his form the very moment she saw him. He looked the same, not that she was expecting any radical change. And even if he had - changed, that is - she wouldn't have been fooled. Not anymore. She'd left her days of naivete back where they belonged, back in the same place she tossed aside her wholehearted trust and unfathomable kindness. Ever since he had come into her life, she had been changed. Just as she had been changed when he left her.

As she stared, she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing back in Mystic Falls. He had told her before that nothing was keeping him tied to the town anymore. She had understood. She was relieved. Finally, some shred of normalcy had been given back to her. Sure, she was still aware of what lurked in the shadows, but after the first few months the paranoia had dispersed. He was gone.

And now he was back. The ring on his finger, bestowed by one of her own, allowed him to be wherever she was, at any time of day. She tensed, wondering if she could steal it like she had before. At least when it was hanging around her neck she knew there was no way he could disturb her sunrises. But she dismissed the thought just as quickly as it had come to her. He would never let her anywhere near that damned ring. If there was one thing she was absolutely certain of, it was that.

She watched more intensely as he moved with what seemed to be purpose. As if he was looking for something or someone. As much as it pained her to admit it, she needed to know what that thing or person was. She needed to make sure that no one in the vicinity was in danger. She loved too many of them to allow the scum of the planet to take them from her.

She walked briskly, smiling and shaking her head to Elena's worried gaze and avoiding Stefan's curious eyes all together. This was something she needed to do on her own, without the other Salvatores. She followed from what she hoped was a safe distance, slowing done as to not draw attention to her. She passed teenaged chatter and fearful Ferris Wheel riders. The Falls' annual fall carnival was in full swing and everyone had shown up to take part.

He never turned around, never tensed as if he knew he was being followed. She didn't care. She knew him well enough to know that he didn't show signs of weakness the way other vampires did. He was ruthless and stronger than most others. Before this knowledge terrified her. If she was to be completely honest, it still did.

She hid behind a Suburban as he came to a halt. He turned his head to the right, then he turned around. He was staring right at the vehicle she was using as a shield. And then he was standing no more than three feet in front of her.

"My, my. Three years and you haven't changed at all."

She swallowed back her fears and stood a little straighter. "Neither have you. What are you doing here?"

He smirked. "Why do you care?"

"I..." A pause.

"No, wait. Let me guess. You don't want me to eat your loved ones, is that it?" He took a step forward and watched, amused, as her entire body froze with fear. "I'm not going to hurt you, little witch."

She flinched. It had been years since he'd called her that.

He stroked the side of her face. "There's something about you that I just can't resist..."

Defiantly she slapped his hand away. "You shouldn't be here. You promised you wouldn't come back."

He laughed as if what she said was a joke. "Bonnie...haven't you learned by now that we Salvatores are nothing but petty liars?"

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**Review if you liked, but do not alert if you didn't. This was just a teaser piece, so if you want to see longer updates, some indication that this was at least semi-decent would be very much appreciated. Thank you for clicking/reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So...I kind of wasn't expecting this reaction to my teaser. It was surprising to say the least. Not that I'm ungrateful! I appreciated every single one of your reviews. And I'm truly sorry I didn't respond to every single one of you. I had to finish a TOK presentation and my science fair project, along with various papers and whatnot. In short, I've been busy. But, it looks like I found a spare moment or two and was able to write an update. I hope you guys like it.**

**Special thanks to:** **_babyshan211, Danielle Salvatore, Vamp123, Ash, izzyjayne, Fanaddict15, TriGemini, Lara, JennaLeigh, Darkness-Princess-Kit, Cori-Ackles, Rapid Squirrell, mkfkd, BamonLover!, lilly, and Brianna-May Sims_ for reviewing this story so far. I appreciate it so, so much. Thank you guys!**

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Three years ago

_She stared blankly at the look on his face. She could feel it deep down, deep in her bones or her soul, that whatever he was about to say to her would change things forever. Her heart sped up in anticipation. She just wanted him to say it quickly, like ripping off a band-aid. But then again, a part of her wanted him to wipe the solemn look off his face and smile one of his rare grins. She was looking for reassurance, albeit in all the wrong places. There was none to be found, of course._

_Swallowing, she crossed the street to meet him. He waited patiently with his hands in his pockets. The wind flew across them and her hair swept past her breast to lay across her shoulder blades. It was cool out, a nice day to spend by the pool or at the park. The wind and the sun, just the way the clouds looked in the sky, reminded her of her childhood with Elena. She wished she was eight years old again, unaware of vampires and their ancient baggage. She wished for anything but this silent misery always greeting her when she saw him._

_She stopped a few feet in front of him, wary of his serious aura. Damon was rarely serious, and it scared her. Unsure of herself, she shifted her weight from her left foot to the right. She waited for him to speak first. She wanted the answers, she didn't want to ask the questions._

_Damon chose to take pity on the much younger witch. "I'm leaving," he told her, finally ripping off the metaphorical band-aid._

_Bonnie tried to respond, but all she could only nod slowly. She was processing the two words, trying to make sense of them. It didn't matter what she did, though. They didn't make sense. They couldn't. How could he be leaving Mystic Falls? Better yet, how could he be leaving her after everything that had happened?_

_"Oh," she muttered quietly. The vampire caught it without strain._

_Uncharacteristically, or perhaps completely in character, Damon lifted his hand to brush a stray tendril of Bonnie's hair behind her ear. He stared down at his little witch and wondered why saying goodbye was so difficult when it had never been before. He hadn't felt anything for anyone since Katherine. He couldn't let himself feel something for this girl, this child above anything else._

_"Don't fret, little witch. There are an astonishing amount of brooding human boys waiting in the wings. You'll move on and find someone 'right' for you."_

_She could feel the tears threatening to pool over. She felt like a little girl, trying to convince her mother to let her keep the puppy she'd stumbled upon. "Why do you have to leave?" Her voice cracked as she asked the question._

_He half-smiled at her and the look would have taken her breath away if she didn't need it so badly. "I don't have a reason to stay."_

_If she had never been sure about anything before, she was completely positive that her heart had never hurt as bad as it did then. She didn't feel whole anymore, but rather a faint version of herself. Nothing physical had hurt as much as the way his few words did. She wanted to crawl into bed and just cry herself to sleep._

_"Not even me?" she wanted to ask him. But she didn't._

_Damon stroked the side of her face. "I'll promise you something. I won't come back here and I won't look for you. Believe me when I say you're better off without me."_

_"Can I ask you something?" She didn't wait for him to say yes. "Did you ever love me?"_

_He wasn't surprised by her question. In fact, he was expecting it. Of course his little witch would want to know the answer. He'd never told her before, though she had secretly hoped and wondered if his feelings mirrored her own. She was sure it was impossible for this particular Salvatore to love anyone but the ruthless bitch who had left him in agony for years._

_Damon looked her in the eyes, kissed her forehead as if he were Stefan and not himself, and pulled back slowly. "You don't want the truth, Bonnie."_

_"I don't want you to go."_

_"Look, I can't stay here." He put his hands on her arms and said, "Forget everything about me, Bonnie. Forget what I've done, what I've said. Just forget that I was ever here. You deserve to be with someone who can do the things I can't. You've always wanted to be normal. This is how it has to be."_

_She was trembling beneath his touch, because she knew that this would be the last time she'd ever see Damon Salvatore. The tears finally fell and for the last time, he stroked them away. "I love you," she choked out._

_He smiled. "I know."_

_Then he was gone. And his little witch fell to her knees._

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She remembered the way she felt when he left her, how she believed that he'd never come back. And here he was, standing right in front of her, smirking and talking to her the way he had when she first met him. She was afraid again, and very unsure of herself.

"I have to go," she said, the shock that she had followed him finally sinking in.

He dropped the act and stood in front of her, blocking her exit the way a brick wall would. Still much shorter than him, she stared at his chest and waited for him to say something or move out of her way.

"I shouldn't have left."

And there it was, the truth. Black and white and gray all at the same time. She wasn't sure what to feel. Anger. Love. Confusion. Everything all at once in swirls and hues of fear. She wished she was as fast as he was so she could run away and keep going, not thinking and not facing the situation.

"Okay," she said, trying to keep the overflow of emotions at bay.

Damon briefly looked at the ground. "Okay? That's it?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, Bonnie. I just want you to feel something. You should be angry with me, you should be pissed off. I (left) you and I told you I would never come back. Why aren't you yelling at me?" It was evident that Damon Salvatore was confused as hell, questioning why his little witch was so insecure, so lost. He knew where the blame lay, but he couldn't admit it aloud.

"I'm not angry, Damon." She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. She put a hand on his chest and he didn't know how it was, but he felt cold and empty. "This is how I feel. This is what you left behind, Damon. So I'm not angry with you. You were right to leave. But you shouldn't have come back."

He hurt. He'd never felt pain the way he was feeling it now, but it hurt so damn much that he just wanted it to go away. He staggered back and stared back at the girl with the emotionless eyes. When the pain left and he returned to himself, he reached out for her again, only to watch her take a step back.

"You shouldn't have come back," she repeated again.

"Bonnie, I - "

She turned around to look at the spinning Ferris wheel. "I have to go. Please don't follow me."

He obeyed her request and hung back, watching her walk away from him much like the way he walked away from her three years ago. It hurt to see her leave him and he could only imagine the way she felt when he left her. It amazed him that she had felt anything for him, but more than that it amazed him that she didn't know when she put her hand on his chest, that there was a slight, slight sliver of desire, warmth, and love radiating towards him.

He vowed to himself, and to her, that he would grab that sliver and hold on for dear life.

It wasn't a matter of want, but of need. He needed to know that he could go back to the way things were, to hold onto what once was. He, Damon Salvatore, needed his little witch.

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**I was going to write more, but then I realized it was 10:19 and I hadn't even started my history homework. I have to be up by five and I have history first period. So, I'm sorry about this. I hope you review if you liked it, because I'm putting some time away tomorrow to answer your reviews. Suggestions welcome and praise/criticism is appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you guys, so much, for reviewing. Really, I don't feel that I need to put your names down here again, because I've replied to everyone this time, but seriously. Thank you so much. It means a lot to know that I'm doing a decent job at not butchering this story line. :)**

**Also, because I couldn't respond to your anonymous reviews via email...**

**sky samuelle:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, because I had a blast writing it. Hope you enjoy this update! ^_^  
**lyla:** Okay, so I know you said that you liked my last update, but I don't know if I can express to you how much your review meant to me. And I was so disappointed that I couldn't email you to say that! I just wish I could have let you know right away that I appreciated your review! :( Thank you, so, so much. I hope you enjoy this.  
**The Lady Gaga Referencing Girl:** I love your musical taste _and _your fanfiction taste, lol. I hope you enjoy this one!

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"So...he's really back?"

Bonnie didn't lift her eyes from the chopping board as she nodded in confirmation to Elena's question. She wasn't quite ready to go down that road, at least not yet. Maybe not ever. She didn't want to talk about Damon or think about Damon or see Damon. It was all inevitable, though. Everything always came down to Damon. She'd find herself walking down memory lane with him. Sometimes it would take seconds to snap out of it. Sometimes she wouldn't think about him for weeks, sometimes months. But it always came back to him.

She tossed the sliced up cuccumber into the large salad bowl and exhaled as she tensed up. "Yeah, he's really back."

Stefan walked in on the two ladies and leaned up against the counter with Elena, placing his arm loosely around her waist. It wasn't as if he couldn't hear them from the room he had been reading in, just down the hall, but he felt better knowing hearing the truth from Bonnie. He didn't want to eavesdrop.

Bonnie dusted her hands off and smiled towards Stefan. "I'm guessing you were listening in, Mr. Salvatore."

He returned the smile and shrugged sheepishly. "Guilty as charged. If you don't mind me asking, Bonnie..."

She was expecting their questions. How could she not? When Damon had left they were all about giving her space and letting her heal in her own way. Granted, they were there for her whenever she needed them. But now that he was back, the space they had initially given her was replaced with the curious little "what are you going to do?" hanging in the air. The truth? She wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do yet.

"Okay, you guys. I know what you're thinking. That I should stay away from him and move on. Damon's not the sticking around type. I've got to respect that."

Elena wanted to throw up at the words coming out of her best friend's mouth. "Stay away? Move on? Respect? Bonnie, you love him."

The shorter girl knew it was pointless to argue. "So?"

"So...you can't just pretend that your feelings will go away if you push him away. Damon did that to you," she said quietly, "and he came back. Maybe you should - "

"No," Bonnie said decisively, cutting her off. "I am not like you, Elena. I can't be with a Salvatore, no offense Stefan."

Stefan shook his head as a signal for her to forget it. He understood better than anyone the baggage Damon brought with him. He had been shattered at the loss of Katherine and when Anna had told them that Katherine was still alive it had broken him all over again. The only difference was that her existence allowed him to move on. He finally understood that her feelings for him weren't real. That none of it was real.

Stefan said to the witch, "I know that you think Damon doesn't know how to love. But you have to know that Damon's built up so many walls around his heart, because you have the power to hurt him...Literally and figuratively," he added as an afterthought.

Bonnie turned to the sink and washed her hands off. Her eyes were starting to water up a bit and she didn't want Elena and Stefan to see them. "Damon has walls, because he's afraid to be vulnerable. So was I. I mean, it took me so long to trust _you _Stefan, and with Damon...I've seen anger in his eyes before and I was afraid of him before. I used to feel like I had to be as tough as him, to prove that I was strong. I just...I don't know. I can't. I _can't_. I can't be with him again. I can't take the chance of him saying goodbye."

Elena turned to her husband and placed her hand over his. With a single look, he understood. He gave Bonnie's arm a small squeeze of comfort and left the kitchen with his hands in his pockets. For now, he needed to leave the two best friends to themselves. And until they were done, he could delve back into the book he had started earlier.

"So you don't want to be with Damon."

Bonnie paused as she scooped some of the salad she'd built onto a small plate. "Right."

"You don't want anything to do with him."

"Mmm-hmm."

"And you're hopelessly in love with him."

"Ye - don't try to trick me into doing something stupid, Elena." She stuck her tongue out childishly, despite the situation, and took a ferocious bite out of a cherry tomato. She laughed at Elena's awed expression, before saying after she swallowed, "Did you eat today?"

It was Elena's turn to be exasperated. "Yes, _mom_. Stefan went hunting earlier."

"How's Alaric's ring?" Bonnie asked, continuing with the concerned questions.

Elena, in turn, rolled her eyes. "It works fine, Bonnie." She picked the ring up from where it lay against her neck and inspected the curious daylight wonder. "It's worked for five months. You have to stop worrying about me."

"I can't help it. You're my sister, Elena. I have to worry."

"Hey, the feeling's mutual," she replied with a pointed look. "And you know what I mean by that."

Bonnie bit down on a baby carrot. "Damon is my past."

"True. But what if he's your future, too?"

* * *

Bonnie glared up at the shelf in which she was trying to grab her favorite cereal. Sometimes it really sucked to be short. Sighing, she glanced around for someone handy. There was a little old lady reaching for some pop-tarts and a middle-aged woman with a checklist and two little children. No one of help. She sighed and thought maybe she should just get it next time. Turning away from the shelf she was surprised to see a fine arm reach up and take a box down to hand to her.

"Thanks," she exclaimed as she took a hold of the box. She didn't look up to see who had given her the cereal, but when she did the smile on her face intensified. "Oh, hey Jeremy. What're you doing...shopping for groceries?"

"Contrary to what you and Elena may think, I'm not prone to dialing Pizza Hut every night. I cook too, you know."

"Yeah, right. Milk and fruit loops?" she asked with a laugh.

He rolled his eyes jokingly. "No...it's cocoa puffs, I'll have you know." He held up a box to prove it and Bonnie couldn't do anything but laugh.

"When was the last time you had a home-cooked meal?"

He tilted his head to the side and actually had to think about it. "God, I can't remember. I think about a month ago or something. Elena and Stefan were celebrating their anniversary, I think. And you made that awesome lasagna."

Bonnie whistled. "Okay, that settles it. Come over to Elena's tomorrow. I'll cook my 'awesome lasagna' and you can bring the entertainment."

"Strip poker?" he asked her.

She hated it admitting it, but Jeremy Gilbert was not a bad looking guy. And he was only eleven months younger than her. And he was almost older than Elena in the technical sense. And he was a good guy, a great guy even. After they had all sat him down and told him about the realities of vampires and witches, and after he'd learned to accept it, he'd grown out of his juvenile characteristics. He was genuine and sincere and everything she'd ever wanted in a guy. Jeremy was practically perfect.

But he wasn't sarcastic and rude and heartless.

Bonnie shook her head and cursed herself for thinking about _him _again."Very funny, Jeremy. I was thinking more along the lines of some Johnny Depp goodness?"

He smiled and nodded yes. "I think I can manage that. What time?"

"Is six good?"

"Six is great. I'll definitely be there. But, uh, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is it going to be weird...y'know, eating in front of them?" he whispered the last part in an unsure tone.

Bonnie wanted to laugh. "They can still eat, you know. I mean, they don't for the most part...but it won't make them uncomfortable. I've gotten used to the whole blood thing so she's gotten used to me eating cookie dough straight from the bowl."

He sighed in relief. "Okay, good. 'Cause I wasn't sure...I mean, I know it's been a while, but..."

"Trust me, I get it." She smiled at Jeremy again and wondered to herself if maybe there was a way to let go of Damon Salvatore after all.

* * *

The doorbell rang at precisely six o'clock. Both Elena and Bonnie were surprised, because the one thing Jeremy was not known for was his punctuality. Throwing each other confused glances, Bonnie shrugged. "I guess I'll get it, then."

The lasagna still had another fifteen minutes left, so she shut the oven door and took off the oven mitts. She combed her hand through her hair as she walked to the front door. Twisting the knob, she smiled at the person standing on the other side of the door. And then that smile morphed into a frown.

"What are you doing here?"

"What, I'm not allowed to visit my own brother now?"

Bonnie gritted her teeth. "Cut the crap, Damon. I'm not going to play games with you. What are you doing here?"

He sighed. "Can you please, please just talk to me?"

"We are talking," she told him.

"Not like this! I want - I want to really talk. Please? I know you don't owe me anything and you don't ever want to see me again, but you once told me that you believed in second chances. Please give me a second chance, a chance to explain."

She thought it over. Half of her heart wanted to take him in her arms right now, while the other half was begging her to slam the door closed. Her own heart was waging war and she wasn't sure which side to fight for. Finally, she sighed. "Fine. But not right now. I need some time, Damon. I'll meet you tomorrow."

"When?" he pressed her, not wanting her to wiggle out of her proclomation.

"In the morning. I'll meet you at our old spot." The words came out before she could stop them. 'Our' was too familiar and, yet, foreign at the same time. It left a bittersweet taste in her mouth. "Now please, Damon, just go away."

He was desperate to stay, but he knew that forcing himself back into her life would only ruin his chances even more. He turned around, but didn't take a step. "Listen to me, little witch, I'm not going anywhere this time. I was wrong and I know that, but my heart is yours." Her own heart sped up as he continued with, "And somewhere you know that yours is mine. Don't forget that."

She shut the door behind him and slid down to rest against it. Closing her eyes, she wondered how much longer she could keep herself from jumping right back into the Damon Salvatore Love Hurricane.

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**Oh, my God! Elena's a vampire now!? And Jeremy might hook up with Bonnie!?! And Damon totally loves Bonnie!? Why did you stop it here, woman!? What's WRONG with you!? **

**Ahem. There's a review response for you to copy/paste if that was the exact reaction you had after reading this. But if you'd like to elaborate and share your thoughts, I'd prefer that. I like to see what you guys are thinking. And whether you liked this. :) Thanks so much for reading, guys!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Y'know...there comes a time when "I've been busy with school" just starts to get redundant. I am a full IB student and I am incredibly swamped with school. All of the time. So, a lot of the time I have to put fanfiction on the backburner in favor of keeping up my GPA. I'm guessing that a lot of you know what I mean...so I hope you're not mad that I took forever to update. **

**As an apology, I threw in a surprise here. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you'll be shocked by it. I'll only know if you tell me. Thanks for clicking!**

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Bonnie was still sitting against the door as the doorbell rang for the second time. She knew it wouldn't be Damon this time, so she got up without reluctance and turned the doorknob. "Hey Jeremy," she started to say. Then she noticed that he wasn't alone. In fact, his arm was snaked around someone else. Bonnie was surprised not because he was with a girl, but because he was with this particular one.

"Hey, Bonnie," the girl said tentatively. Their past was still rocky as apologies had been weak and hard to accept.

Bonnie shook herself out of her stupor and smiled just as hesitantly. "Anna. Are you guys...?" She let the question float around in the air before it fizzled into two nods of confirmation.

Anna looked down. "Bonnie, what happened before - "

"It's okay," Bonnie told her, surprising all three of them. "I know why you did it and there's nothing to be sorry about." She thought of Damon and the lengths he went to to get Katherine back, then she thought of Elena and Stefan. She realized that there wasn't anything that would stop them from going to hell and back to get the person they loved back.

Both Jeremy and Anna sighed in relief.

"Come in," Bonnie said with a small laugh. "The lasagna's probably done now."

"And it's probably amazing," Jeremy continued.

Anna laughed. "Well, I'm going to go chill with the vampire crew. You guys can join us when you're done."

Both Jeremy and Bonnie made their way to the kitchen where the lasagna was, indeed, done. Perfectly. Bonnie smiled at her handiwork and started slicing into it. She offered Jeremy a big piece which he heartily accepted.

"Oh, my God. _Yes_," he said after a bite. "You...are...a...goddess," he continued in-between bites.

She laughed. "You're welcome. You know, you can drop in whenever you want. I always make way too much."

He nodded, before setting his fork down. The mood changed as his eyes shifted from carefree happiness to a troubled expression that she remembered from just a few years ago.

"Jeremy?"

He took in a heavy breath. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you think it's a good idea if I...you see, me and Anna, well." He was finding it really hard to find the words. She encouraged him to go on. "THe truth is that I think I - " He swiftly stopped talking when he realized that there were three vampires in the house that could hear them both perfectly well.

Cleverly, and with a slight smirk, he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from the fridge and wrote what he couldn't say down.

_I think I love her_.

She grabbed the pen from him childishly and wrote back: _Then tell her._

_Well...I think she already knows. _

_Jeremy, what's your question? :)_

_Do you think Anna should turn me?_

Bonnie fumbled abruptly and recoiled from their written conversation. She immediately lost all of her cheeriness as she slumped against the counter. "Oh," she breathed.

He sighed. "You think it's a horrible idea."

"No," she said delicately. "It's just...Damon's back."

His eyes darkened as he recalled their romantic history. His fists clenched at just the thought of the misery she was going through. "No wonder you're all effed up. The bastard's back."

She shrugged sarcastically. "Yeah."

He hung his head. "I guess this was bad timing on my part."

"No...no, Jeremy. If you love her, then you should. Really, I mean that."

His lips curled into a half smile. "You think?"

She returned the expression. "Absolutely."

As she started to put the lasagna away and moved their dishes into the sink, Jeremy put a friendly hand on her shoulder. She almost crumbled at the gesture, as the contact was unwarranted and gracious, but instead she remained in tact.

"You know that I hate the guy, Bonnie. Really, he's...I can't stand him." She nodded in agreement and almost murmured it aloud as well. "But," he said forcefully, "as much as it kills me to admit it, he wasn't Mr. Horrible when you guys were together. He was your _it_. And I think he still is."

She stiffined. "Jer - "

"Give the bastard a chance."

She said nothing, choosing instead to take her emotional battle out on a sponge and dirty dishes.

He squeezed her shoulder a little for reassurance. "You were the one who told me that taking chances is what love is all about."

She smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah, but I was also drunk and I was trying to hook you up with Caroline."

He laughed as Elena, Stefan, and Anna walked in with amused faces. "Details, woman."

* * *

She pulled her hoodie closer around her body before crossing her arms. It was getting colder already and she wasn't sure if she was prepared to face another Winter alone. She stood as far away from their bench as possible, trying her hardest not to even look at it. Thoughts of giggles and slow kisses were already flashing through her head and really all she wanted was Elena's hand and a bucket of ice cream. A bottomless bucket.

"You came."

She swiveled around at a lightning-like speed and froze at the sight of him. He looked absolutely delicious, even in his modest jeans and v-neck. Her eyes guiltily roamed over his body before his smirk forced her to look only at his eyes.

"Yeah. I'm here." She shrugged as if it was no big deal, even though to both of them it was a _very big deal_.

He took a step closer and frowned when she backed away. "Bonnie, I've been alone for a really long time. And I've hated myself for it. I stupidly pined over a person I never really knew. I hated Stefan, because it was easier to blame him than to realize that I didn't know what love was. And that I never did."

Her heart sped up at this.

"And then I met you and I stopped _wanting _to be alone. I stopped wondering about Katherine. I wanted _you_. I need you. Maybe you don't believe me, Bonnie. But I left, because I wanted to protect you."

She had been silent for too long. Far too long. "Protect me from _what_, Damon? From what? You say that you loved me and all you wanted was to protect me. I can protect myself, Damon! I loved _you_. You, the unloveable ice prince. And - and then you - you left. You left me. How can I believe you?" she asked, more to herself than to him.

"Because I _love _you."

"Why?" she asked him, tears flowing freely. "_Why_?"

"Because even when you're afraid, you're fierce. Because you're loyal. Because you're more beautiful than anyone I've ever known, inside and out. Because there's no way I deserve someone like you. Because even though you refuse to admit it, you love me. Me. Bonnie, I love you for more reasons than I can ever explain. You are my sole reason to live."

She nearly buckled at his explanation. "You're lying," she muttered to herself.

He lifted her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. Then he leaned down, closing the gap. Inches. Then centimeters. Then so close their noses were touching. His lips met hers in a desperate plea from the both of them. A gritty, brutal desire to mend what had been broken.

The single kiss explained what words could not. Its simplicity told the both of them that what they had was by no means rare, but rather unique enough to protect. Something to fight for.

She pulled away. "You love me."

"Yes."

She searched his eyes for something - any semblance of deceit. Then she leaned up on her toes, surprising him. She kissed him, but only a brief gesture to convey her stance.

"I can't say that I don't love you, Damon. But I don't trust you and I'm not sure if you'll stick around long enough to change that." She stopped his response with her index finger. "Don't - don't say anything, okay? If you really want me, then just give me time, Damon. Please."

With that, she zipped up her hoodie and turned around, refusing to turn back to see the lovestruck vampire with a wistful grin. He was half in, and just confident enough to leave her be.

"You can run, little witch. But I'll always find you."

In an impossible flash, he was gone.

* * *

**Yes, they kissed. Finally! :) I'm happy with this so far, and I hope you guys like it, too. Reviews are much appreciated and I will certainly start working on an update if there's anyone interested!**

**Thank you so much for reading!**


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